Congratulations PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO July 3, 2024 2 TRACKS TO THE CLASS OF 2024!
PAGE 2 – SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – JULY 3, 2024 Good evening to the family, friends, faculty, and John Jay Class of 2024. The world is full of unanswered questions. There are the big ones: Where do we go when we die? Are we alone in the universe? There are personal ones: What makes me feel the most fulfilled? What would I do differently if I could go back in time? And then there are the urgent, pressing ones: Did I write a good graduation speech? What do I do if it’s bad? Is it too late to fake being sick so I don’t have to deliver this speech? What am I doing up here right now? In reality, these questions are pretty pointless. People in the audience are probably craning their necks to catch a glimpse of their graduate in the 11th row, half of my classmates are zoning out staring at my back, and the other half can’t even hear me because the speakers point away from the stage. And in a year, when the next class fills our seats and their parents are the ones craning their necks in the audience, this speech will long be forgotten. But to me, right now, “Did I write a good graduation speech” seems extremely important. I think we need to give more credit to seemingly unimportant questions: the trivial ones, the bad ones, even the stupid ones, because they’re only unimportant if we make them unimportant. On the first day of school senior year, my biggest unanswered question was probably “Where will I go to college next year?” The first day of kindergarten, it was “What will I do without nap time?” I couldn’t imagine how someone was supposed to make it through an entire half-day without time to sleep. By the end of my first day of school, where I had remained fully awake, that question was quickly forgotten, only to be replaced by new ones. Elementary school was filled with important unimportant questions: Who should I pick to bring my birthday snacks around the school? How do I spend my Scholastic Book Fair money on anything but books? Will we finally get extra recess today? How do you make a starburst rainbow loom bracelet? Is someone supposed to ask me to go to the luau? By middle school, our questions evolved: How many more times can I get away with bringing napkins to the homebase party? How much deodorant is too much? Can I please go to my locker? I grabbed my PM binder instead of my AM binder by accident! What color bands should I get for my braces? And, why does Mr. Kastanis have his daughter’s umbilical cord in a jar in the supply closet, and can he maybe not show it to us? High school has provided its own fair share of questions: What am I supposed to eat on Meatless Mondays? Why do we have a giant inflatable wolf head? Where is the quizlet for this AP Classroom? Why does Kiefer get to park illegally every day? Are student council elections supposed to get this heated? As we prepare to graduate, we will undoubtedly face an overwhelming new set of questions. We will feel confused, anxious, curious, and excited. But before we feel crushed by these new unknowns, let’s remember to look back at how much we’ve already grown. Because our old questions are not just funny and nostalgic, they are time capsules. Each insignificant question we’ve asked has been a stepping stone, a glimpse into the minds of our younger selves, and the closest we can get to a physical marker of growth. So yes, many of our old questions were stupid. But the fact that we now recognize that they are stupid is proof of how much we’ve grown. The world will always be full of unanswered questions: Do we have free will? How do we balance individual freedom with the common good? When will this speech be over? These unanswered questions, whether Alice Cai PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR VALEDICTORIAN SEE VALEDICTORIAN PAGE 7 The journey ahead is just as important as the destination. INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT’S ELITE Multi-Million Dollar Producer Lic Real Estate Salesperson CT & NY Coldwell Banker Realty Direct (914) 393-8361 [email protected] pattyhinkleyrealestate.com Patty Maiolo Hinkley Lic RealCDpatpa2023 Closed V# of TransactioCT & NScan to visit my website INTERNAPATTY MAStarting 2024 with the sale of6 Lois Lane Katonah, NY Represented botthe seller & buyeLooking forwarknow with any @pattyhinkley_ realestate Congratulations and best wishes for the exciting adventures that lie ahead! 914-277-4424 • 440 Rt 22 North Salem, NY • www.theblazerpub.com They colored their world— It’s time for the next chapter. Congratulations to the class of 2024!
JULY 3, 2024 – SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 3 Boston University Savanna College of Art and Design Syracuse University The New School University of Cambridge Loyola University New York University Perdue University Rhode Island School of Design University of Michigan Congratulations! to the Class of 2024 Top University Matriculations Now enrolling for Fall 2024 www.efacademy.org Good evening, friends, families, administrators, faculty, guidance counselors, staff, and most importantly the John Jay High School Class of 2024! I welcome you all to this momentous occasion. Firstly, a huge congratulations to our Class of 2024, we did it! It is a great honor to stand before you today and welcome everyone here speaking on behalf of our incredible, spirited, and hard-working class. I would like to share my journey at Katonah-Lewisboro which began on a dreary November morning 2018 in the middle of seventh grade after moving here. It was an unnerving experience letting go of the old friends and community that I had known from a young age and moving to a completely new environment without any known connections. Six years ago, I walked into JJMS on my first day and was welcomed by some of you sitting here in this audience. On that day I could not have imagined that I would be standing at this podium today. The guiding light of my friends that day showing me around the school and demonstrating such warmth were shining examples of the community which defines our school and class. You all know who you are and thank you for making me feel included that very first day. Furthermore, I want to give the biggest thanks to everyone that has been instrumental to our collective success as a class - our amazing school administrators who wake up much before us every morning to ensure that our learning experience for that day is safe and wonderful, awesome teachers who guided us and stayed back at times to ensure we understood what we learned, and all other staff that ensured things worked seamlessly behind the scenes while working tirelessly. You all have truly guided us through high school and trying times with your endless support and enthusiasm. Most importantly I would like to thank all the parents, family members, and friends gathered here today that made one of the best decisions to choose Katonah-Lewisboro as their home, to give their kids the best possible education in a supportive and collaborative school district that has helped us mature into good citizens. A community certainly decides the character of the school district and the high school is the epitome of that vision. From tying our shoes on the very first day of school, putting us on that school bus for the first time 13 years ago, to becoming our personal chauffeurs and allowing us now to spread our wings to fly near and far away. You are and will always be our strongest rock, now please give all the parents a very big round of applause for all they do day in and day out! And to my immigrant parents from India and Bangladesh to you America was a dream which you cherished and worked hard to achieve. You are living the dream and I know you will always fight for that dream in this beautiful land. Thank you for passing on your love for humanity to me as physicians and I hope to live up to your expectations. Looking back at our high school years, here we are four years later through many tears, a pandemic year, and the high demands of senior year. We have made it to what may seem like the end, but it’s actually an exciting new beginning to the next chapter of our lives. We made it through hybrid classes, missed human interactions, and won against our biggest adversary in 100 years. This should be the testament to our resilience throughout our lives and our careers which we can proudly share for many years to come. I would say that we will always cherish our friendships, unique experiences, camaraderie and spirit on our sports teams, facing all of our challenges with a smile and confidence. Our class included some Shayna Kar PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR SALUTATORIAN SEE SALUTATORIAN PAGE 7
PAGE 4 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE KATONAGraduates Deven Comstock and Siddharth Satheesh present the key of knowledge to incoming seniors Quincy Hadlock and Max Wasserman. The Treblemakers singing a song dedicated to the graduating class. PHOTOS: EMRIN LECLAIR Pomp andJohn Jay HJ
AH-LEWISBORO TIMES – JULY 3, 2024X PAGE 5 Mary Murphy leads the class in the honorary tassel flip. d Circumstance! igh School Graduation une 18, 2024
PAGE 6 – SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – JULY 3, 2024 Divina Allyn Jonathan Altneu Joseph Archina James Arefieg Hever Arias Miguel Secil Arias Miguel Alfredo Avila Colin Baird-Taylor Philip Bal Justin Barry Anna Bellinson Jack Benson Nicholas Benson Douglas Berganza Gavin Bisignano Jocelyn Blachar Jordyn Blachar Talia Blechman Mack Boudreau Jordan Bourla Jasper Braunschweiger Brooke Buatte Luke Bueti Ella Burke Matthew Burns Alice Cai Ava Calandros Cameron Cambareri Sabrine Carangelo de la Guardia William Cardona Cole Ceremuga Gavin Cervantes Aidan Christman Apryl Clampitt Jesse Collins Katie Collins Franco Compagnone Deven Comstock Sean Conroy Emery Corlett Jessica Crane William Cranstoun Krizzia Cruz Najera Rose Daly Alicia DeGaetano Kieran Denny Isabella Diaz Charles DiCesare Nicole DiNapoli Zoë Dollar Samantha Donnelly Jordan Duffield Luca Duva Aeson Dwyer Daniella Dziedzic Jamie Ellin Nicholas Fassert Max Fattaruso William Fenton Meredith Flood McKenna Flynn Megan Flynn Kristina Fonseca Ava Fridie Emily Fuller Joseph Gabriele Madeline Galgano Zachary Geller Gavin George Elena Gil Steven Giner Andrew Glass Julia Gold Daniel Gomes John Goodrich Rachel Gottesfeld Phoebe Greene Brooke Habinowski Alexis Hasko Christian Herlihy Tucker Hickey Ethan Hicks Hunter Hoskins Atticus Howell Samantha Hufnagel Sophie Hunsberger Sophia Imrichova Lara Inana Kenneth Irving Madyson Itwaru Emily Izaguirre Julian Jafet Chloe Jaffe Silas Johnson Julia Johnston Jacob Jones Shayna Kar William Keenan Amanda Kelly Ryan Kelly Elita Kelmendi Ella Kerman Andrew Kiefer Westley Kim Stella Kirby Emma Klares Hailey Knopke Julian Koronowski Oliver Krizan Ronart Kukaj Brendan Lasota Kaitlyn Lenahan Kevin Lenahan Brandon LePore Dahlia LeTourneau Spencer Levine Talia Levinsohn Ethan Lewitt Adam Llanos Kayla Lopes Mikayla Lora Albert Manes John Marcogliese James Mardon Katherine Martin Conner McCarty Ciara McGroary James McHugh Madelyn McLoughlin Ela Mehra Mary Murphy Ava Nagy Julia Neumann Julia Nichols Quinn Oates Olivia Ofer Dagan Ohana Julia Oliver Katherine Oliver Anthony Oliveri Lucas Oyen Zachery Ozols Sophia Pace Elizabeth Pagano Timothy Panek Mikaela Parker Riley Pastore Arden Pearl Julia Perkowski Guillaume Pestie Florian Ponari Francis Pryor Adrian Puentes Christopher Purcarea Kaylee Quinlan Owen Quinn Charles Rabii Grace Ramirez Colman Rice Matthew Roban Annalise Roberts Maclain Rockett Tyler Rossi Hannah Rubin Cooper Rumack Nicholas Russo Samantha Salazar Tucker Salazar Siddharth Satheesh Ethan Savage Dominic Savastano Victoria Schliman Broderick Schneider Allison Schuberg Alec Schwartz Aya Schwartz Justin Shapiro Kayla Shapiro Caitlin Shepherd Nathan Shoup Naomi Smilay Dylan Sorgi Hudson Sorgi Hope Spiegel Galileo Spione Zoe Stevens Margaret Strattner Allison Tannor Caroline Tepper Grace Terwilliger Gabriel Tillmon-Guerth Thomas Tortorello Emily Vasquez Sofia Verrone Skye Volpicella Zachary Walerys Oscar Watstein Jared Weitman Jacob Weitzman Haley Welsh Jack Whalen Cameron Wierl Amelia Wiig Molly Willingham Elijah Willner Margaret Winter Troy Wood Benjamin Wysmuller Danielle Yoon Ruby Yuan Information provided by KatonahLewisboro School District. John Jay High School Class of 2024 PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR
JULY 3, 2024 – SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 7 Men/Women Haircuts Wash and Style Blow-Dry and Flat Iron Color and Highlights Waxing Brazilian Blowout Keratin Treatments APPOINTMENTS 914.232.5201 270 Katonah Ave., Katonah, NY 10536 HAIR SALON REVITALIZING STYLE: PREMIER HAIR SALON IN THE HEART OF URBAN CHIC Congratulations to the High School Graduating Class of 2024 Behind you, all your memories. they are doubts, curiosities, or dreams, are what make life so scary. But looking back on our old questions can empower us to face the future with more curiosity and excitement than fear. Because one day, today’s daunting questions may seem as trivial as those from our past. So, let’s embrace uncertainty. Let’s never stop asking questions – whether stupid, funny, scary, or impossible, because the questions we ask today shape the people we become tomorrow. Thank you, and congratulations again to the John Jay Class of 2024. VALEDICTORIAN FROM PAGE 2 of the very first members of LEAD John Jay working diligently to create events such as JayFest and bring back the spirit that was missing in our first couple years of high school. Following our gradual return to normalcy, our class truly showed up by coming decked out in spirit day wear, cheering the loudest at the stands during homecoming and Friday football games, hosting senior tailgates, celebrating decision day and many more events. Now at the crossroads of one journey closing to an exciting adventure awaiting, I encourage you to bring our John Jay spirit and sense of community to wherever you find yourself in the future. As we step forward, let’s not shy away from new opportunities. Embrace them with the same courage and resilience that got us through these past years. Each challenge is a chance to grow, each new opportunity a path to discover. At the end of it all, be happy in whatever you pursue and enjoy each step along the way. As someone famous once said, “Be happy for this moment, this moment is your life.” I urge you all to dream big, shoot for the stars, set massive goals, and never stop learning. I will leave you with this: remember that the connections and friendships we’ve built here are just the beginning. Carry that sense of unity and support with you. Be open to new experiences and people, and always strive to make a positive impact wherever you go. Congratulations, Class of 2024. Let’s make our mark on the world! Thank you. SALUTATORIAN FROM PAGE 3 A Day for Friends & Family Graduating senior members of the musical groups the Notables and the Treblemakers PHOTOS: EMRIN LECLAIR Florian Ponari and his parents Nicholas Benson, Jasper Braunschweiger, and Christopher Purcarea Tim Panek, Alfredo Avila, Sean Conroy, and Tyler Goodrich Alexia, Kayla, and Manny Lopes Amanda Godsoe, Elena Gil, and Dario Gil
PAGE 8 – SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – JULY 3, 2024 Bates College Bentley College Bryn Mawr College California State University East Bay California State University Long Beach Central Connecticut State University College of Charleston College of the Holy Cross Cornell University Drexel University Elon University Fairfield University Hampden-Sydney College Hobart and William Smith Hong Kong Metropolitan University Howest University of Applied Sciences James Madison University Lafayette College Lehigh University Loyola Marymount University Lynn University Marist College McGill University Northeastern University New York University Pennsylvania State University Post University Providence College Purdue University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Sacred Heart University Skidmore College SUNY New Paltz The New School Tufts University UMass Amherst University of California Davis University of Colorado Boulder University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Hartford University of Miami University of Michigan University of Nevada Las Vegas University of Rhode Island University of Tampa University of Vermont U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Washington University in St. Louis Worcester Polytechnic Institute York St. John University 53 different colleges & universities 18 states 5 countries 10% playing collegiate varsity sports CONGRATULATIONS to The Harvey School Class of 2024! The Harvey School is a college preparatory school enrolling students in grades 6–12 with boarding beginning in grade 9 Katonah, NY • (914)232-3161 • www.harveyschool.org